Urgelling Monastery

Urgelling Monastery is a historic Buddhist monastery located in Urgelling village, about 5 km south of Tawang town in Arunachal Pradesh. Founded in 1487 by Lama Urgen Sangpo, it is revered as the birthplace of the 6th Dalai Lama, Tsangyang Gyatso, born in 1683. The small, traditional monastery belongs to the Gelugpa school of Tibetan Buddhism and is an important pilgrimage and cultural site in the Tawang valley.

Visitors can expect a small, peaceful monastery complex set in a rural valley surrounded by hills and farmland near Tawang. The site includes a modest prayer hall with Buddhist statues, thangkas, butter lamps and murals, and a sacred area marking the birthplace of the 6th Dalai Lama. The surroundings are quiet with traditional village houses and mountain views. Visitors can walk through the prayer hall, observe monks praying, and experience a calm religious atmosphere.

Founded in 1487 by Lama Urgen Sangpo, Urgelling Monastery is one of the oldest monasteries in the Tawang region. It is historically significant as the birthplace of Tsangyang Gyatso, the 6th Dalai Lama, who was born here in 1683. The monastery predates the larger Tawang Monastery and played an early role in establishing Gelugpa Buddhism in the area.

The monastery is an important site for Tibetan Buddhism of the Gelugpa school. It is revered as a pilgrimage place associated with the 6th Dalai Lama and houses sacred relics, scriptures and thangkas. It remains an active place of worship and cultural heritage for the Monpa community of Tawang.